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The Rolex Milgauss is a watch like no other: it offers maximum recognition value without drawing undue attention to itself through its size or shape. Instead, it brings a subtle touch of the exotic and an advantage that particularly benefits people in certain scientific and technical professions. We take a look at this exceptional watch, which has been on the market for a good half century and remains in demand, and we also examine the price of this special Rolex.
Milgauss – A Small but Exquisite Model Line
When the name Rolex comes up, many watch enthusiasts think first of models like the Cosmograph Daytona, the Datejust or the Submariner, while the Milgauss is far less present in the public consciousness. Nevertheless, it has long been one of the cornerstones of the lineup and has a fan base that may be somewhat smaller than those of the other model lines, but is all the more loyal. The Rolex Milgauss, first unveiled to the public in 1956, was never intended as a mass-market product. Rather, it was developed specifically for people who had often run into problems when wearing their wristwatch on the job.
These were primarily engineers and technicians, but also scientists and certain physicians who are frequently exposed to strong magnetic fields in the course of their work. Such fields can seriously disrupt the precise timekeeping of a mechanical watch. As early as the 1920s, various watchmakers had therefore been grappling with the question of how to shield a movement from the influence of magnetism. Antimagnetic properties soon became as much a quality criterion for fine luxury watches as accuracy, water resistance and shock resistance. Even a magnetic flux density of 50 to 100 gauss can noticeably impair the accuracy of a mechanical watch, so high-quality commercially available watches were increasingly shielded against such influences.
The Milgauss, however, was the first mechanical watch that was also resistant to strong magnetic fields of up to 1,000 gauss. It therefore quickly became the wristwatch of choice for many technicians, engineers and scientists, particularly in nuclear research, allowing staff at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), for example, to keep their watches on while working. Its resistance to magnetic fields of up to 1,000 gauss was ultimately also decisive in choosing the model name, which combines the French word "mille" for "thousand" with the unit of magnetic flux density named after the physicist Johann Carl Friedrich Gauss.
Rolex Milgauss Price and Value Development
Depending on the model and dealer, the price of a Rolex Milgauss ranges from about €9,000 to €15,000. Pre-owned models may be cheaper or more expensive depending on condition and rarity. The Rolex Milgauss has seen stable to rising prices, partly due to its popularity and the generally high demand for Rolex watches. It is also important to note that certain models or variants within the Milgauss series are considered collector's pieces and may rise in price, especially if they are in good condition or have special significance (e.g., limited editions). However, the watch market is also marked by uncertainty, and while the Milgauss is regarded as a solid investment, there is no guarantee of future appreciation. If you are considering a Rolex Milgauss as an investment, it would be wise to do thorough research and possibly seek professional advice.
Oyster Case, Patented Inner Shield and Lightning-Bolt Hand
Over the years, the design of the Rolex Milgauss has changed only marginally. It is still housed in an Oyster case, which measures 40 millimeters in diameter in current versions. From the very beginning, the case incorporated a patented shield made of ferromagnetic alloys that protected the movement from magnetic influences. Since 2000, the antimagnetic protection has been further reinforced, with certain movement components now made from paramagnetic materials. The model's key visual hallmark from the outset was its lightning-bolt seconds hand, found on no other watch model, which stands out not only for its shape but also for its striking orange hue.
In the 1960s, this distinctive seconds hand was temporarily dropped, which some critics see as one of the triggers for the model line's decline in significance during that period. In fact, magnetic protection as strong as that offered by the Rolex Milgauss was necessary only for a relatively limited circle of potential buyers. This fact, along with the generally declining sales of mechanical watches during the so-called quartz crisis of the 1970s, led Rolex to temporarily discontinue the Milgauss in 1988. Anyone who owns one of the examples produced up to that point can count themselves lucky today, as models from the 1960s through the 1980s are now coveted collector's pieces that often change hands for five-figure euro sums.
Renaissance of a Classic
After interest in mechanical luxury watches surged again in the 1990s, Rolex remembered this particularly characterful classic and ventured a relaunch in 2007. The "new" Milgauss can be recognized not only by its lightning-bolt seconds hand but also by its slightly green-tinted sapphire crystal, which no other Rolex model features. To further optimize magnetic protection, the movement was now housed in a kind of soft-iron container with a screwed-down inner cover that has only two small openings for the winding stem and the hand shafts. Against this background, a date display was omitted.
Rolex presented the most recent version of this small but exquisite model line to date at Baselworld 2014. It features a dial that shimmers in an intense electric blue, against which the lightning-bolt hand and the minute markers stand out clearly in their bold orange. The hour markers and hands are coated with luminescent material, ensuring good legibility even in the dark. Like all models with an Oyster case, the Milgauss is water-resistant to 10 bar or 100 meters. High accuracy and reliability are ensured by the caliber 3131, certified as a chronometer by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC).
Additional Color Variants Available
Today, the Rolex Milgauss has admirers not only among engineers, physicians and technicians, but is also favored by athletes and others who like to wear a robust, understated yet highly individual watch. In addition to the blue dial, versions with a black or white dial are also available, the latter paired with a clear sapphire crystal instead of the usual green-tinted one.
